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• Nazri Aziz: Opposition receives political donations too, not just Sabah Umno
• Penang PKR will not reveal findings
• Nazri tells Pakatan to ask HK about Sabah Umno’s RM40m
• MRT Corp to award remaining 38 contracts worth RM2b by year-end
• Keeping news free, fair and fun
• This is my country, I’ll not balik Tong San
• Nazri’s son cleared over assault, murder
• Perkasa wants boycott of Jaclyn Victor
• LGBT a Jewish agenda, says Perkasa
• Education, economic equity main draw for Chinese community, says Saifuddin
• Umno explains Pakatan’s Rapid backtrack
• Musa Hassan denies joining PAS, says no link to Anwar suit
• RM7.2b oil royalty ‘rip-off’ for Sabah
• Tee Keat slams Soi Lek for mocking audit report, ignoring mismanagement
• Speak Malay, PM tells Chinese community
• Penang men no longer need first wife's permission to take on second wife
• Zeti: M'sia can withstand capital flows
• Soros: Euro crisis destroying EU
• Problem-plagued Proton ‘in trouble’
• Azmin-Khalid feud enters a new level
• PAS renegade Hasan Ali says will never join Umno
• Guan Eng teaches Najib how to fight graft
• In latest tirade, MCA warns against principles of 'Koran' in national culture
• MCA is anti-Islam, says PAS Youth
• ‘Graft in military housing since 90s’
• National debt soars to RM456.12 bil
• Malaysia's third quarter GDP to slow
• Sultan yet to give nod for discussion on Talamgate
• Sabah like a second home for MILF leaders
• Ali Baba contractors ‘killing-off’ Dayak business
• Misuari: It’s a recipe for another big, big war in Mindanao
• Azmin to be hit by FAC scandal?
• Ex-IGP Musa withdraws "black eye" suit against Anwar
• Bus drivers want bulk discounts for accumulated summonses
• Nazri: Receiving foreign funds is not treason
• Malaysia's Auditor-General points to billion dollar cost overrun in train project
• AG report: Top marks to Pakatan states
• Sisters of Islam call for Syariah law review
• Hindraf to back Pakatan, provided…
• Defamation suit against FMT dismissed
• 'Who says Islam and democracy can't propel a nation?' asks former MCA V-P
• Pakatan’s minimum wage plan will backfire, says Soi Lek
• Animal lovers slam local councils’ move to enter houses and remove dogs
• Selangor says has cheaper water treatment option
• Anwar says will reduce fuel prices if opposition wins
• Nazri: New law to replace archaic Sedition Act will be tabled next year
• Umno leaders urged to cooperate with Kimma
• Saifuddin: winning cyber war key to ensuring BN success in GE13
• Top ulama leaders in PAS can replace each other, says Nik Abduh

Nazri Aziz: Opposition receives political donations too, not just Sabah Umno Posted: 17 Oct 2012 06:42 PM PDT (Bernama) - The Opposition should not question Sabah Umno's RM40 million political donation from unknown sources because DAP had also received RM3.5 million from supporters to build a new building in Penang said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Abdul Aziz. Nazri said it was not an offence for any party, including the Opposition, to receive donations for their political activities. "There is no problem. Any party can receive donations. We understand DAP had also received. But Umno received more because there are more Umno supporters. "Political donations are not an offence. But if it is to become an offence, we are ready to enact such laws," he told Tan Kok Wai (DAP-Cheras) during a question and answer session in Dewan Rakyat here today. The Attorney-General's Chambers had decided that there was no element of corruption in the case against Sabah Umno receiving donations. Nazri said the contribution was to the Sabah Umno and not for the personal use of Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Musa Aman. He clarified that the donation to Sabah Umno was investigated by Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC) and not the Malaysian Anti Corruption Commission (MACC). "It was ICAC that investigated and later closed the case. The money was banked into the Sabah Umno account and not to any individual," he said. Nazri who was also asked how many leaders were being investigated by the MACC said a former Menteri Besar, two Members of Parliament, two exco members and two state assemblymen were being investigated. "We cannot reveal the identity of the individuals because it will jeopardise investigations," he said.

Penang PKR will not reveal findings Posted: 17 Oct 2012 04:19 PM PDT (NST) - Penang Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) has decided not to make public the findings of its investigations into the leaked minutes of a meeting where its chief, Datuk Mansor Othman, was caught on tape calling Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng a "cocky, arrogant tokong (deity)". Asked if the party would ever make an announcement about the investigations or whether actions had been taken against the person who leaked the minutes, state deputy PKR vice-chairman Datuk Abdul Halim Hussain said: "There is an internal inquiry. We are not going to comment about this matter further. "Comments can be blown out of proportion," he said yesterday. Halim was quoted in news reports late last month that the outcome of the investigation had been passed to the head of the party's disciplinary board, Datuk Dr Tan Kee Kwong. It has been almost two months since Mansor made headlines for calling Lim names and alleging the party planned to rule Penang on its own after the next general election. Although PKR's disciplinary board had reportedly reached an outcome in its investigations, nothing had been revealed to the press. It was reported in late August that a blog called "Gelagat Anwar" had published the leaked minutes of a meeting chaired by Mansor. The meeting was to discuss seat allocations for PKR's Chinese candidates in Penang for the next general election.  Mansor had denied calling Lim arrogant when the news came out, explaining that he meant well when labeling him a "tokong" but late last month, TV3 aired an audio clip of what Mansor had said during the meeting. He had then admitted to saying those words but claimed that he was responding to "leading" questions by those present at the meeting.

Nazri tells Pakatan to ask HK about Sabah Umno’s RM40m Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:59 PM PDT   Clara Chooi, The Malaysian Insider  The Barisan Nasional (BN) government continued today to defend Sabah Umno's RM40 million political donation from an unknown source, with an Umno minister telling opposition lawmakers to refer to Hong Kong's anti-graft agency if they opposed the contribution. Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz (picture), in deflecting criticisms against Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman in the Dewan Rakyat, told the House that it is not an offence for a political party to receive donations from any individual. "Political donations are not any offence. If we wanted to say it is an offence, we would have enacted laws against it," he said to uproar from the opposition bench. "If people want to contribute, let them contribute. What is the problem there? "In any case, whether you agree or not... you should ask Hong Kong's Independent Commission Against Corruption (ICAC)... they were the ones that investigated and closed this case," added the Padang Rengas MP. Parliament was told earlier this month that the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) had cleared Musa of graft and money-laundering allegations after finding that the over S$16 million (RM40 million) that timber trader Michael Chia was caught trying to smuggle into Malaysia from Hong Kong was not meant for the chief minister but for Sabah Umno. In a parliamentary reply, Nazri had said that the Attorney-General's Chambers had shelved the matter after finding no element of corruption in the case, which was first raised by whistleblower site Sarawak Report earlier this year. In April this year, Sarawak Report had revealed documents allegedly from Hong Kong's anti-graft agency, the ICAC, showing that a Sabah lawyer was holding some US$30 million (RM93 million) in a Swiss bank account for Musa. READ MORE HERE

MRT Corp to award remaining 38 contracts worth RM2b by year-end Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:45 PM PDT (Bernama)— Mass Rapid Transit Corp Sdn Bhd (MRT Corp) expects to award the remaining 38 contracts worth approximately RM2 billion by year-end. Its director of Strategic Communications and Public Relations, Amir Mahmood Razak said 47 of the 85 packages worth over RM20 billion had been awarded, with 47 per cent of the projects going to Bumiputera contractors. "The balance of the projects is so big, including some system packages," he told a media briefing on the V2 MRT Viaduct Works from Kota Damansara to Dataran Sunway today. Asked about the MRT Lines Two and Three, Amir said the group had yet to be informed of their progress by the government. "They are still undertaking the feasibility study. I think the plan is to announce the lines at least by the first half of next year.  "If the new lines are to be announced by then, we will be able to award some of the new contracts by end-2013. That would be a fair estimate," he added.

Keeping news free, fair and fun Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:30 PM PDT (FZ.com) - The best life is one that is led with balance; where the heavyweights of politics and the economy stand on even ground with their lifestyle and entertainment counterparts. And that is the essence of fz.com   Malaysia's newest online portal makes its official debut today with promises of a wide spectrum of offerings for both the younger and mature audience.    fz.com takes a thoughtful and incisive approach to reporting on issues of national and international importance. Yet it will also take walks on the lighter side of life where food, entertainment, sports and features are concerned.    But whichever end of the spectrum it traverses, fz.com is determined to uphold its mantra of fair and credible reporting.    "Credibility makes for sustainability and on this score, our editorial team is guided by the principles of fair and balanced reporting," says fz.com editor-in-chief  Yeap Boo Yam.    "We want to present both sides of the story to readers and let them be the judge. We are in this business for the long haul."    fz.com's vibrancy also lies in its focus on telling stories through images via its photo gallery and video clippings, generated by the portal's own webcast team and strategic partners.    From Oct 18-21, fz.com will hit the road with various launch activities that include free tickets to Jennifer Lopez's "Dance Again" World Tour concert.  READ MORE HERE

This is my country, I’ll not balik Tong San Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:21 PM PDT   By right, Malaysia should today be a rich, progressive and prosperous nation. But why is it not so? By Chua Jui Meng, FMT After 55 years of greed, plundering and emptying the national coffer, the Barisan Nasional (BN)-Umno government is now living off borrowings. According to Deputy International Trade and Industry Minister Mukhriz Mahathir, the federal debt is at about RM800 billion. That is why our economy is in tatters with the value of the ringgit shrinking fast (now at RM2.50 to S$1), cost of essentials and living rising and the people living in misery having to struggle to make ends meet daily. That is why the rakyat (people) is at a political crossroad and have no choice but to change the corrupt BN-Umno before economic disaster befalls us as a bankrupt country. Sabah's RM40 million Musagate involving the state's timber revenue and Sarawak's multi-billionaire Taib Mahmud are two clear cases of super rich BN-Umno chief ministers who need not be accountable to their current wealth. Malaysia is a blessed country with rich natural resources, including oil and gas, and the 26 million citizens should be reasonably comfortable financially. But they are not, especially the rural and urban poor. In 1992, when I was in China, there were no cars on the roads, only bicycles and motorcycles. Not even Proton cars, don't talk about Mercedes Benz. After two decades, China has overtaken Japan as the biggest economy in the world. BN-Umno leaders and their cronies can continue to tell us, the Chinese, to Balik Tong San (Go back to China), but I will not. I was born in Malaysia, I reside in Malaysia and Malaysia is my country. The Chinese in Johor must rise to give solid support to Pakatan Rakyat in the next general election for a more secure future. We cannot rely on MCA anymore as it has proven to be only a "Yes Man" party to Umno. They only know how to continue to kiss the hands of Umno leaders for crumbs. The Chinese must replace MCA with Pakatan parties whose New Development Policy will see restructures in both Small Medium Industries (SMIs) and Small Medium Enterprise (SMEs). Chua Jui Meng is a PKR vice-president and Johor PKR chief. He is also a former MCA vice-president and an ex-Cabinet member.

Nazri’s son cleared over assault, murder Posted: 17 Oct 2012 03:10 PM PDT The Home Ministry has confirmed that the son of de facto law minister Nazri Abdul Aziz was not involved in an assault case in March this year and a murder in 2004. Teoh El Sen, FMT The Home Ministry has cleared a minister's son over his alleged involvement in two criminal cases. This was stated in a parliamentary written reply to a question posed by Kelana Jaya MP Loh Gwo-Burne. The PKR MP had asked for the results of the investigations against Mohamed Nedim, the son of Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abdul Aziz, over the alleged assault of a security supervisor at a luxury condominium in March 2012. Loh had also asked about the murder of one Darren Kang at the Uncle Don restaurant in Sri Hartamas around 2004. On the first case, the Home Ministry said that the assault, classified under Section 160 of the Penal Code, was actually perpetuated by the former private bodyguard of Mohamed Nedim. "The case has been settled amicably by both parties," it added. On the case of Kang, the Home Ministry said investigations by the police had found that Mohamed Nedim was not involved. "In that case, five Thai nationals were found guilty after being charged and convicted for five years by the court," it said. On March 20, it was claimed that Mohamed Nedim assaulted a security supervisor at the condominium in Mont Kiara following a "minor altercation". It was alleged that Mohamed Nedim's actions, where he had choked the supervisor's neck before landing a punch on his head, were captured on CCTV cameras. However, the police later said that the footages showed that the minister's son was not involved. READ MORE HERE

Perkasa wants boycott of Jaclyn Victor Posted: 17 Oct 2012 02:48 PM PDT Stephanie Sta Maria, FZ.com Perkasa has called for a blanket boycott of local singer, Jaclyn Victor by Muslims nationwide over her song which it claims is an insult to Islam.   The song Harapan Bangsa was uploaded on YouTube on Jan 3, 2012 and contains religious connotations pertaining to the Christian faith.   It isn't clear however when the song was recorded. None of her five albums released since 2004 includes Harapan Bangsa and the song isn't listed as a single either.   The YouTube video was created by a Kathryn Barry and features images of Christianity, Malaysia and its various races with Harapan Bangsa as background accompaniment.    There were no images, however, of Jaclyn performing or recording the song in a studio. In an accompanying write-up, Barry said that she had created the video to "share this beautiful and meaningful song about Malaysia and Jesus".    In a statement today, the right-wing Malay NGO said it condemned both Jaclyn and the songwriter for their "insensitivity and disrespect" to non-Christians in the country.   Perkasa secretary-general Syed Hassan Syed Ali referred to a particular line in the song that reads: "Bapa, engkau lah harapan negara ini" (Father you are the hope of the nation) and said that it was a clear insult to Islam as the country's official religion.   "There is also another line that says "Kau lah satu-satunya harapan di bumi Malaysia" (You are the only hope on Malaysian soil) and this is insulting to all non-Christians since she refers to Malaysian soil," he said.   "Do all Malaysians believe in and place their hope in Jesus? The songwriter should have been more aware of the fact that Malaysia is made up of more than just Christians and has a Muslim majority."       Syed pointed out that yet another line says "Yesus engkau lah harapan segala bangsa" (Jesus, you are the hope of all races) and questioned why the lyrics were written as such since Muslims have never worshipped Jesus. READ MORE HERE

LGBT a Jewish agenda, says Perkasa Posted: 17 Oct 2012 01:08 PM PDT ' The LGBT is a Jewish agenda being pursued by NGOs in Malaysia in an attempt to attack Muslims'. (fz.com) - Malay rights group Perkasa says LGBT is a Jewish agenda being pursued through NGOs in Malaysia that have received support and funds from international Jewish-run NGOs in an attempt to attack Muslims in countries with a Muslim majority. "This is being done by championing what is forbidden under Islamic law. The enemies of the Jews are Muslims," said Syed Hassan Syed Ali, the secretary-general of the Malay rights group. Their strategy, according to Syed Hassan, is to weaken Muslims by influencing some of them to accept the LGBT culture and thus creating conflict among the Muslims.   "Then they will be able to take over an Islamic country because its Muslim community is splintered.    "In addition, there are a few political parties from the Malay Muslim community that I am certain, want support for their party," he told fz.com.    Therefore, said Syed Hassan, some of the Muslim leaders in this country do not view the legalising of LGBT as a serious enough threat to Islam.    "It appears that the Jewish representative in this country has had an early victory when the Muslims in the country are unable to see eye to eye in fighting this social ill," he added.   Meanwhile, Barisan Nasional (BN) MPs approached by fz.com voiced their concern over the threat LGBT makes to the family institution.    Although Pakatan Rakyat (PR) lawmakers were slightly hesitant to comment on the matter, they argued that there needs to be a more humane approach to issues concerning the community.    Lenggong MP Datuk Shamsul Anuar Nasarah has been consistent in toeing party lines against the LGBT issue in various heated exchanges in Parliament over the matter.   He acknowledged that individuals have their rights and freedom to express themselves. But he was against LGBT rights as, according to him, they clearly go against the norms of not only Islam but other religious teachings as well.   To him, there is also the question of producing a competitive nation in the future.   "It will ruin the institution of family. If we want to build a good nation, it has to be made up of good individuals and a perfect family system,   He said that opposition to LGBT always existed but the recent increase in attention to the matter by BN lawmakers stemmed from statements made by PR leaders allegedly in support of the movement.   "We had to react because certain leaders were lending their support to this small community. Even if they are comparatively small in number, when supported by political leaders, we are afraid that they will grow," he said.   He added: "If we don't tackle it now, it will become something normal in society."   Minister for Agriculture and Agro-based Industries Datuk Seri Noh Omar echoed similar sentiments, saying human rights must be observed "within the limits of religion".   When asked why the government is focusing on such a small community, the Tanjong Karang MP said that the LGBT issue is just another social ill which can harm the current socio-economic make-up of the nation, and thus must be tackled adequately.   "They may be small in number but a culture is like fire. When it is small, they are friendly. When it is big it will fight back," he said, adding that the issue has to be curbed before it gets out of hand.   Read more at: http://www.fz.com/content/lgbt-jewish-agenda-says-perkasa

Education, economic equity main draw for Chinese community, says Saifuddin Posted: 17 Oct 2012 12:43 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Education and economic equity are the main issues that will attract the Chinese community, who appear to have swung their support in favour of Pakatan Rakyat (PR), says Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. The Umno supreme council member speculated that it will be highly possible to win the Chinese votes back if those issues are resolved by the ruling Barisan Nasional (BN) coalition. "To court Chinese voters, we have to really, deeply consider the issues that are most dear to them, like education." "Personally, I feel that we need to show a road map when we plan to recognise the certificates issued by 60 of the Chinese private schools," Saifuddin (picture) told The Malaysian Insider in an interview recently. "Maybe there will be some matters that need to be rectified, with respect to standards of quality, if we don't recognise them now, we would still have to one day," he said. The Temerloh MP also agreed with the government's step in recognising certificates issued by Tunku Abdul Rahman (TAR) College which, according to him, is a "step forward towards the road map". "We need to show the road map, since the steps towards it are already there, like the recognition of TAR College," he said. He didn't deny the possibility that issues like economic equity will be hard to tackle, but according to him, the government needs to convince the Chinese community that it is up to it. "Other issues might seem difficult ... but we need to solve them, for example, we need to convince them on issues of equality, equal economic treatment, assisting the poor and so on, without regards of race ... if we succeed we can at least get the support of the Chinese. "But the government has actually given a lot, there are only one or two things that need to be tackled since they are impossible to accomplish, even if PR governs there will be no assurance that they can tackle them," he added. However, he observed that the current BN government's policies are problematic in their implementation, and made difficult by time constraints. "Government policies are already lovely; it's just that the implementation takes a little time, along with some weaknesses. "But problems can be found anywhere, we just have to do that little bit more, and we need to convince them that we can give equality in economy to all races," he explained. Education is an important point for the Chinese community in Malaysia, as evident by pressure group Dong Zong (the United Chinese School Committees Association), which has demanded several changes in the national education policy in order to strengthen Chinese education in the nation. Read more at: http://www.themalaysianinsider.com/malaysia/article/education-economic-equity-main-draw-for-chinese-community-says-saifuddin ther Asian nations as part of its commitment to forge solidarity with nations in the continent.

Umno explains Pakatan’s Rapid backtrack Posted: 16 Oct 2012 06:03 PM PDT 'It can't get enough support from Pengerang residents.' Natasha Lai, FMT A lack of popular support has forced Pakatan Rakyat to backtrack from opposing Petronas' Refinery and Petrochemical Integrated Development (Rapid) project in Pengerang, according to Johor Umno secretary Ghazali Abbas. The opposition bloc had failed to win over local residents in its campaign against Rapid. He was commenting on Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's statement yesterday that Pakatan was opposed not to the project per se, but to the way it was being implemented. Ghazali claimed that most Pengerang residents were now in favour of the project. According to him, the government carried out a survey among the residents, asking them to indicate whether they approved of the project, would accept the project if they received compensation, or were totally opposed to the project. He did not reveal the detailed findings, saying only that "most of the residents accepted the project" and that the majority of those who demanded compensation had received their dues. He said Pakatan "had to backtrack simply because they have failed to win over the residents". According to Hasnul Ahmad, who leads an anti-Rapid movement called Pengerang NGOs, the survey results went in favour of the government largely because many of the residents could not afford to go to trial. "So they chose Option 2 and took the compensation." They were told during the survey that they would each have to fork out a deposit of RM3,000 if they were to go to court, Hasnul added. "Most of them are fishermen," he said. "These people are poor and they can't imagine where they could get that much money." About 40% of the residents were still against the project, he added. Hasnul also said his movement would support Rapid if it were not located in a residential area and not detrimental to the environment. "Pakatan's stand is our stand," he said, "because it's Pakatan that has shown concern for us Pengerang residents. "We're not against development. The government can proceed with any development project as long as it does not intrude into our community and tradition, displace us and disturb our graveyards."

Musa Hassan denies joining PAS, says no link to Anwar suit Posted: 16 Oct 2012 06:00 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan denied today speculation that he would be joining PAS or any other political party, following an apparent trend that has seen several government pensioners signing up with the Islamist opposition party this year ahead of the 13th general elections. The rumours were false, he told Sinar Harian Online today, adding that it also had nothing to do with his decision yesterday to drop a defamation suit against Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the infamous 1998 "black eye" incident and Sodomy I trial. "That is not true," he told the Malay newspaper when asked about the rumours circulating on the web. "Anyway, whether PAS or Umno, nobody has come to meet me to offer membership," Musa told Sinar Harian. The retired police veteran was reported as saying he had never been involved nor supported any political party ever since joining the force. But he declined to comment when asked if he would become a member of PAS if given the chance. "I cannot speak about the future. "For myself, I am independent and my vote is confidential if asked which party I will choose in the general elections," the 60-year-old told the newspaper. Musa's name came to the fore once again recently after several Malay political news websites, including PAS-owned portal, Harakah Daily, published word that a former IGP would be joining the Islamist party over the weekend, citing an anonymous party insider as the source. A recent trend in Malaysian politics has seen several high-ranking Muslim government pensioners, including high-ranking officers such as former secretary-generals, ex-envoys and those from the police and armed forces joining PAS after the end of their service. Among them are former CID chief Datuk Fauzi Shaari, former Land and Cooperative Development Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Nik Zain Nik Yusof and Datuk Ramli Buyong, the deputy vice-president of Felcra Berhad. Musa had lauded Fauzi's move to join PAS in a previous exclusive interview with The Malaysian Insider, but said he would not make a similar move. "After this he can teach PAS about the country's laws and rules," Musa said of Fauzi then, adding he had rejected overtures from a Pakatan Rakyat (PR) component party. Apart from PAS, the other component parties are PKR and DAP. "It's better for people like me (former IGP) not to join politics," he told The Malaysian Insider in July.

RM7.2b oil royalty ‘rip-off’ for Sabah Posted: 16 Oct 2012 05:57 PM PDT It is highly unlikely that the current BN regime will give Sabahans the 20% oil royalty it is demanding, said opposition MP Hiew King Cheu. Queville To, FMT KOTA KINABALU: The RM7.2 billion received by Sabah for the past 40 years, being the 5% oil royalty payment under an agreement to extract the commodity from the state and its waters, is a major rip-off for the Sabahans, Kota Kinabalu MP Hiew King Cheu said today. "The Sabahans' demand for an increase in oil and gas sharing is understandable and this figure [of RM7.2 billion] is solid proof that the wealth of the Sabahan is exploited and being siphoned away. "We did not enjoy the wealth provided by mother earth; instead we ended up with plenty of hardship, poverty, no development, and poor economy. Many other oil-producing countries are rich, but Sabah has remained a poor state," he said. He was commenting on Prime Minister-cum-Finance Minister Najib Tun Razak's reply to a question raised by him in Parliament recently. Hiew had asked about the total amount of oil royalty paid to Sabah thus far. Najib noted that the federal government had since the beginning collected a total of RM8.4 billion which included income tax on the petroleum, export duty, and royalty up to 2011 from the production and export of oil and gas in Sabah. The export duty is RM0.8 billion and the 5% royalty is RM7.2 billion. Noting that this figure was equivalent to a total of RM144 billion (about US$47 billion today) worth of oil and gas that had been exported during this period, Hiew said the accuracy of the figure was doubtful as it is thought to be merely an estimate of the oil and gas production in the state over the years. He said such a meagre amount of oil royalty would have little impact on Sabah's development, a contention that has been echoed by Pakatan which agrees that a higher percentage of oil and gas sharing would be fairer to the under-developed state where basic infrastructure is lagging compared to the rest of the country. Pakatan has promised to raise the oil royalty paid to the state to 20% should it win the coming general election. READ MORE HERE

Tee Keat slams Soi Lek for mocking audit report, ignoring mismanagement Posted: 16 Oct 2012 03:11 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Former MCA president Datuk Seri Ong Tee Keat attacked his successor Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek today for "mocking" the Auditor-General's Report by claiming that negative reports would not affect Barisan Nasional's (BN) support in the next general election. Taking to microblogging service Twitter to attack his political foe, Ong said: "Why must Auditor's report b mocked as cloutless in affecting GE outcome? "50 yrs ago it might hv no impact doesn't mean it's d same now." Yesterday, Dr Chua sought to play down the Auditor-General's Report released this week, saying the BN government would fall every year were the report to have any effect. The MCA president said Pakatan Rakyat (PR) would certainly exploit reports of mismanagement, but argued that the BN federal government would not be judged solely on the issue of poor management. Ong, however, had a different take on the issue "Wasteful public spending w/ dishonest mark-up & w/out maintenance must b addressed with severe punishment b4 recurrence can b curbed," he said without naming Dr Chua. The annual Auditor-General's Report has revealed several projects that were directly negotiated, plagued with issues, and may affect the level of trust in government, analysts have said. The most glaring example was the directly-negotiated RM12.49 billion Ipoh-Padang Besar double-tracking project that was delayed twice and has incurred an additional RM3.6 billion in costs. Other examples include 1,000 brochure racks worth RM1.95 million for Visit Malaysia Year 2007 bought through direct negotiation by the Malaysian Tourism Promotion Board without the Finance Ministry's approval, resulting in a probe by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), and the five billboards worth RM3.64 million that it put up in Indonesia via direct negotiation that are also being investigated by anti-graft officials. Military family quarters built by the Defence Ministry saw costs nearly double to RM3.2 billion amid a litany of defects including collapsed ceilings and leaking sewer pipes, according to revelations in the Auditor-General's Report 2011. Among others, the report found that the majority of the military quarters projects audited were awarded by direct negotiation and that the government waived penalties worth RM87.12 million for failure to meet contractual obligations. Transparency-International Malaysia president Datuk Paul Low said the direct negotiation way of awarding contracts could potentially give rise to problems such as corruption and lack of competition. Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has pledged his commitment to open tenders, saying at the launch of the Economic Transformation Programme (ETP) in 2010 that competitive tenders for big projects would be the "default" option. Despite efforts to boost transparency including making corruption one of the National Key Result Areas in the Government Transformation Programme, Malaysia slipped four spots to 60th in Transparency International's Corruption Perception Index last year.

Speak Malay, PM tells Chinese community Posted: 16 Oct 2012 02:42 PM PDT Zurairi AR, The Malaysian Insider The Chinese community should embrace Bahasa Malaysia as it is the country's national language, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said this morning. Speaking on Mandarin radio channel Melody FM, Najib also reassured listeners that Chinese education will be part of the exercise to improve quality of education under the National Education Blueprint. Responding to demands by pressure group Dong Zong, the United Chinese School Committees Association, the premier reminded listeners that Malaysia has always recognised Chinese schools. "We are the only country outside China which has got Chinese education as part of the national system," he remarked. "The people have taken this for granted." He also revealed that the Cabinet is looking into implementing an eight-point plan to address the shortage of teachers for Chinese vernacular schools, drawn from roundtable meetings involving various stakeholders including Dong Zong. The implementation will be overseen by one of the two deputy ministers from the Education Ministry. In March, Deputy Education Minister Dr Puad Zarkashi had branded Chinese educationists "racist" for demanding that only qualified Mandarin-speaking teachers be allowed to teach in Chinese vernacular schools. The group accused the Education Ministry earlier this year of "deliberately" creating a dearth of trained Mandarin-speaking teachers as part of a larger conspiracy to re-engineer the identities of vernacular schools. Dong Zong had last month submitted a memorandum on the matter to the prime minister. READ MORE HERE

Penang men no longer need first wife's permission to take on second wife Posted: 16 Oct 2012 02:10 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - Penang men no longer need to seek permission from their first wife in order to take on another bride. Instead, they now only need to get permission from the Syariah court to do so. This was announced by Penang Islamic Religious Department director Datuk Sazali Hussein, who said the move can help curb the problem of unmarried women. "For those who wish to practice polygamy, they only need to get approval from the syariah court to waive the need to present the first wife's approval to take on another wife." "However, they need to provide solid reasons before it can be considered." "Maybe if the reason given is solid and can bring benefits, the judge will grant the request," he was quoted as saying in Utusan Malaysia today. Sazali was asked to comment on a suggestion by a reader in the newspaper's Forum column. The reader, identified as Syed Abdullah Syed Osman Jamalulail from Ampangan, Seremban, had suggested that polygamy conditions be eased to help women of an advanced age who are still unmarried. Syed Abdullah had suggested that the authorities loosen the condition which stipulates that men who wish to marry women over 30-years-old need to obtain the consent of their first wife. He had also suggested that another condition which should be relaxed was the requirement for the man to produce his salary slip or confirmation of wages from employers, as per normal procedure. He believed that it was sufficient that the prospective newlyweds come to a mutual agreement on their union.

Zeti: M'sia can withstand capital flows Posted: 16 Oct 2012 02:06 PM PDT (Bloomberg) - Malaysia can manage capital inflows due to monetary easing in advanced economies, Bank Negara governor Tan Sri Dr Zeti Akhtar Aziz said, as Asian nations take steps to prevent asset bubbles after the United States boosted stimulus. The country had policy tools and the flexibility to absorb any excess liquidity, said Zeti, who oversaw Malaysia's response to capital outflows during the Asian financial crisis more than a decade ago. The Malaysian economy was withstanding the impact of weakening global growth, with gross domestic product forecast to expand about 5% this year, Zeti said in an interview in Tokyo. "We certainly are the recipient of capital flows but the Malaysian financial system has reached a level of maturity in terms of development and in its functioning that is able to intermediate these flows, both surges of inflows as well as reversals," Zeti said. "The effects are disbursed through the financial system rather than concentrated." Malaysia joins Brazil among emerging markets signaling confidence they can counter any surge in fund flows stemming from the US Federal Reserve's third round of quantitative easing. US Fed chairman Ben S. Bernanke two days ago rebutted concern that the central bank's decision to purchase US$40bil in mortgage-backed bonds a month will cause a destabilising influx of capital into developing economies. Most Asian currencies have gained in the past three months, and Hong Kong and Singapore unveiled measures to cool property prices after the US stimulus. The ringgit has climbed about 4% since mid-July, the most among 11 Asian currencies tracked by Bloomberg after the Indian rupee. Bank Negara has kept interest rates steady for eight meetings, most recently in September, as the lowest inflation rate among South-East Asia's major economies reduced the need to tighten policy. Consumer prices rose 1.4% in August from a year earlier, staying at the lowest rate in more than two years. "Right now on the horizon, the risk to inflation doesn't appear to be imminent," Zeti said. "There is less of a risk of inflation and given that we have excess capacity in our economy, the risk is on growth. But again right now, domestic demand is still relatively strong." The country's monetary and fiscal policy was already "quite accommodative," Zeti said. Malaysia has refrained from joining other Asian nations in lowering borrowing costs this year as Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak increases spending ahead of a general election that must be held by early 2013. "There is no big threat to growth prospects for Malaysia and inflation has been surprisingly low," said Gundy Cahyadi, an economist in Singapore at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. "There's room for monetary policy accommodation if necessary but risks are not significant yet to trigger a cut. Any sort of boost will need to come from monetary policy rather than the fiscal side." Asia had "considerable policy flexibility" to respond to external and domestic developments, although a prolonged delay in the recovery in the advanced economies would erode this scope, Zeti said in a speech in Tokyo on Saturday. "It's important for us to have room to manoeuvre in the event things deteriorate, and so under these conditions we should just sustain what we believe is a sustainable growth path and maintain this growth trajectory," she said. If policymakers ease too soon, there would be less scope to do so later if "things take a turn for the worse," she said. Najib cut income taxes, gave civil servants a bonus and extended handouts for the poor in the budget announced last month, with the Government planning to spend RM251.6bil next year. "We already have domestic demand growing, like consumption by 7%, and investment by more than 10%," Zeti said. "This is already the limits to which domestic demand can expand without generating an overheating environment." Malaysia would probably refrain from selling global sovereign bonds for now, Zeti said. "The Government is very cautious about entering into increased foreign debt and they have significant access to domestic sources of financing without crowding out private investment because there is ample liquidity," she said.

Soros: Euro crisis destroying EU Posted: 16 Oct 2012 02:00 PM PDT He says Germany should get out and save currency (Reuters) - NEW YORK: The European Union could be destroyed by the "nightmare" euro crisis, and Germany needs to take the responsibility to save the common currency, according to billionaire fund manager George Soros. Soros, who made his mark as an investor on a big bet against the British pound in 1992, said the other alternative was for Germany the eurozone's biggest economy to simply leave the 17-member currency bloc. The crisis "is pushing the EU into a lasting depression, and it is entirely self-created," said Soros, chairman of Soros Fund Management. "There is a real danger of the euro destroying the European Union," he said. "The way to escape it is for Germany to accept ... greater commitment to helping not only its interests but the interests of the debtor countries, and playing the role of the benevolent hegemon." Germany should act as the leader of the union in the same that the United States did for the free world after World War Two, Soros said at a luncheon hosted by the National Association for Business Economics. Soros, founder of the Open Society Foundations and a founding sponsor of the Institute for New Economic Thinking, said Germany needed to step up to save the euro and the euro bond plan because "if it successful, it would cost very little, but if it fails, it would drag down Germany." Issuing euro bonds would be a way to share risk across the eurozone. Soros floated another solution to the more than two-year-old crisis: let Germany leave the euro. "The problem would disappear in thin air," as the value of the euro declines and yields on the bonds of debtor countries adjust, he said. The International Monetary Fund and the finance ministers of some outside countries have put pressure on Germany to do what is needed to save the euro and solve a crisis that has hamstrung the global economy. Germany is at the forefront of the eurozone's northern creditor countries that are locked in a clash with the bloc's heavily-indebted southern states over the future shape of the bloc. Germany again said it was too soon to say that Greece the most troubled of the eurozone's members needed more time to meet deficit-cutting goals, keeping fears alive that the smaller country could ultimately leave the currency bloc in what would be a messy exit. A key problem is the uncertainty over whether Spain will ask for financial aid from the eurozone and whether Greece can agree on new austerity measures with its lenders. Public opinion in Germany, as well as in Finland and the Netherlands, has grown increasingly opposed to bailouts of eurozone governments. The notion that governments were "riskless" is the main false assumption underlying the eurozone, said Soros, adding it could be corrected by the introduction of euro bonds. "But that has become politically unacceptable by Germany," he added.

Problem-plagued Proton ‘in trouble’ Posted: 16 Oct 2012 01:43 PM PDT DRB-Hicom working out plan to remedy the national carmaker's problems. by Azli Jamil, FMT DRB-Hicom Bhd will announce a working plan to remedy problems faced by national carmaker Perusahaan Otomobil Nasional Bhd (Proton) next month, said its chief operating officer Che Khalib Mohamad Noh. The plan is paramount and if not implemented could bring serious negative consequences to DRB, a major investor in Proton, said Che Khalib. "Proton is in trouble and if we don't solve Proton's problem, not only Proton would go down but the whole DRB will go down," Che Khalib said after his presentation at the Malaysian Institute of Certified Public Accountant-Bursa Malaysia Business Forum in Kuala Lumpur yesterday. He, however, did not elaborate on the details of the problems faced by Proton. The problems, if not resolved, would affect its 11,000-plus employees and the whole automotive ecosystem surrounding Proton, he said. Meanwhile, a newswire reported yesterday that DRB's group managing director Mohd Kamil Jamil said Proton's performance would have an impact on DRB as the acquisition of Proton was a major financial investment for the former. The report quoted Mohd Khamil as saying that DRB's management can add value to Proton and realise its potential as the national carmaker before finalising a turnaround plan. It was reported in September that Mohd Khamil said DRB planned to introduce a yet-to-be announced foreign partner to Proton. In the same report, it said Proton has raised the domestic sales target to 200,000 units for the current financial year ending March 31, 2013, up from 167,000 previously. Furthermore, Proton has been given an additional RM120 million funding for development of hybrid vehicles. READ MORE HERE

Azmin-Khalid feud enters a new level Posted: 16 Oct 2012 01:28 PM PDT The PKR deputy president, according to Raja Petra, is on a 'whispering campaign' to court support against the MB. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Raja Petra Kamarudin claimed today that the Azmin Ali-Khalid Ibrahim fight is being raised to a new level with the latter planning to exploit a land tussle issue to incriminate the Selangor menteri besar. The firebrand blogger said that Azmin, who is PKR's No 2, is now on a "whispering campaign" to court support against Khalid who was said to have abused his power in the land deal. The 18.51 acre of land in the middle of Klang town near the Goldcoast Hotel and the new Klang Mosque is allegedly owned by Yayasan Selangor, a state statutory body. Raja Petra, who runs the popular website Malaysia Today, said Khalid had used his power to give the land to his "blue-eyed girl" executive councillor Elizabeth Wong who had wanted it for a Chinese cultural centre project. Yayasan Selangor was said to have objected to the idea but was forced to concede when the Selangor MB allegedly interfered in the matter. The body purportedly had an initial joint-venture plan with Persada Sdn Bhd to develop the land. It later sent a letter of appeal dated July 12, 2011, to Khalid against surrendering the land. Secret war "Azmin is suggesting that there is something not too kosher about this land transaction, which he says Khalid approved. "Azmin's boys say Elizabeth Wong abused her authority with the backing of Khalid and they want to use this as the leverage to oust Khalid," wrote Raja Petra. The self-exiled blogger added that while Azmin exposes what he claims to be Khalid and Khalid's people's wrongdoings, "Umno is consolidating in their attempt to grab back Selangor from Pakatan Rakyat". Raja Petra had said in the past that the rivalry between Azmin and Khalid's faction provided a glimpse into the former's ambition to strengthen his position as Opposition Leader Anwar Ibrahim's successor. Anwar, who is also PKR's de facto leader, is seen as the only factor that keeps the secularist DAP and Islamist PAS together. His moderate image and politics are seen as a key appeal to Malaysia's mutiracial electorate. Azmin's "secret war" against Khalid and his ambitions for the party may rattle the fragile unity between the three major component parties in Pakatan, said the Malaysia Today webmaster.

PAS renegade Hasan Ali says will never join Umno Posted: 15 Oct 2012 06:56 PM PDT (The Malaysian Insider) - Sacked from PAS, renegade lawmaker Datuk Hasan Ali said today he will never join Umno as he still supports the Islamist party even as he vowed to expose weaknesses in the party he alleged was controlled by a group of progressive Muslims he branded as "Anwaristas'. The self-styled champion of Islam denied allegations that he had been "bought" by the country's largest Malay party — which is also the mainstay of the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government — to conduct public speeches nationwide. "I am still with PAS and will not join Umno. Therefore, my decision should be respected by all parties," he told state news agency Bernama after a dialogue session with civil servants in Besut organised by the district youth council. "Until today, I speak on the principle of upholding Islam in this country even though I have to used my own funds," he was quoted as saying. The Gombak Setia assemblyman had been Selangor's executive councillor for Islamic affairs until he was booted from PAS in January. The former Selangor PAS commissioner had blamed Opposition Leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for being the reason that led to his sacking from the Islamist party, which is part of the state's ruling Pakatan Rakyat (PR) pact. Hasan said the "Anwaristas" — a new group of Islamic democrats alleged to take their cue on religion from Anwar — were not only acting as the shield and chief mover in PAS but had also become its spokesman, leading to the marginalisation of the group of PAS ulama, or the religious scholars. The role of the ulama in PAS had shrunk and some were expelled for speaking out in defence of Islam, Hasan said. "Therefore, people should not wonder if in the near future, PAS will sack more of the ulama, including Nasharudin Mat Isa, for championing Isla

Guan Eng teaches Najib how to fight graft Posted: 15 Oct 2012 03:45 PM PDT The Penang chief minister and DAP secretary-general outlines six steps for Putrajaya to follow. Athi Shankar, FMT DAP has proposed six crucial steps for Putrajaya to fight graft and rescue the country from bankruptcy. Party secretary-general Lim Guan Eng proposed making public declaration of assets, implementing open competitive tenders, barring family members from government contracts, protecting genuine whistleblowers, removing Barisan Nasional leaders with extravagant lifestyles and coming clean on political donations. "Will BN leaders walk their talk by applying the six steps?" asked the Penang chief minister. He called on the federal government to first emulate his Pakatan Rakyat state government by institutionalising public declaration of assets. Lim and his state executive councillors had already publicly declared their assets so he could not see any reason for Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak and the federal Cabinet doing so as well. "The declaration was even certified by an international accounting firm," pointed out the Pakatan leader in his blog posting. Lim, the Bagan MP, also called Najib to immediately drop BN leaders with extravagant lifestyles, owning luxury homes, cars and huge personal bank accounts in foreign countries. The third step was to bar family members of BN leaders from involving in government business to avoid another RM250 million "cow – condo" National Feedlot Centre scandal. Lim also called on Najib's administration to protect, not to prosecute, genuine whistleblowers, who exposed corruption cases leading to charges in court. The fifth, he said, BN must come clean on political donations such as the RM40 million political donation to Sabah Umno. Finally, he wanted the federal government to implement open competitive tenders like in Penang. Without open competitive tenders, he said public projects were directly negotiated and awarded to cronies causing loss of public revenue such as the cheap sale of the Sungai Besi Air Force Base land. Similarly, he asked whether the RM386 million for 57 KR1M stores in Sabah and Sarawak or RM6.7 million per store was justified. At RM6.7 million per store, he wondered whether the KR1M stores were selling basic necessities like sugar, salt and rice or luxury items like jewellery and designer handbags. Due to the implementation of an open competitive tender system in Penang since 2008, Lim claimed that his state government was able to table surplus budgets each year with proceeds from the savings going back to the people annually in the form of an "anti-corruption dividend". Unless action was taken against unhealthy practices, he warned that the Transparency International (TI) Corruption Perception Index (CPI) on Malaysia would not only drop further "but the country may go bankrupt." Probe Sabah Umno Lim said Malaysia's CPI dropped from 37 in 2003 to 60 in 2012, prompting TI Malaysia Chapter deputy president Mohammad Ali to note that elements of state-facilitated grand corruption were prevalent. He noted that even Housing and Local Government Minister Chor Chee Heung had admitted that corruption cost Malaysia RM26 billion every year. He pointed out that the Global Financial Integrity Report from Washington estimated that more than RM1,077 million of illicit money flowed out illegally from Malaysia between 2000 and 2009. READ MORE HERE

In latest tirade, MCA warns against principles of 'Koran' in national culture Posted: 15 Oct 2012 03:36 PM PDT "...They will use the principles of the Koran [sic], and Islamic ethics and values into the nation's economic, social, and political culture," he wrote, using the archaic English spelling for the Muslim holy book. (Harakah) -  Chinese-only party MCA has launched a scathing attack on any attempt at inculcating Islamic values in governance, and warned non-Muslims that Quranic principles and Islamic ethics would form national culture if Pakatan Rakyat comes to power. The warning was made by deputy chairman of the party's publicity bureau, Loh Seng Kok, in a statement condemning an advisory by the Alor Setar Municipal Council that models on billboard should not appear scantily dressed. Claiming that such a ruling was "detrimental to both the nation's economic policies and competitiveness", Loh went on to suggest that it also trampled on non-Muslim rights. "It is preposterous for the Pakatan state government to come up with such guidelines, ignoring the rights of the Chinese community and other non-Muslims," he said, adding that the instruction from Alor Setar mayor Mat Noh Ahmad was made "even without any amendments to the Constitution", in an apparent reference to the argument that the Federal Constitution must be amended if Islamic criminal laws were to be introduced. "This is against the interest of the non-Muslims, and will even affect the state's economic development," he added. But the focus of the party's latest attack appears to be Islamic values, and Loh did not mince his words voicing displeasure over a statement by PAS president Tuan Guru Abdul Hadi Abdul Awang encouraging the incorporation of Islamic values in governance. "...They will use the principles of the Koran [sic], and Islamic ethics and values into the nation's economic, social, and political culture," he wrote, using the archaic English spelling for the Muslim holy book. "Thus I urge the Chinese community to not be fooled by PAS, and to not think that DAP representatives can prevent PAS from achieving their goal of hudud law if Pakatan takes over Putrajaya," the statement added.

MCA is anti-Islam, says PAS Youth Posted: 15 Oct 2012 03:31 PM PDT (Harakah) - PAS Youth leader Nasrudin Hassan has decried the fact that MCA president Dr Chua Soi Lek had been spared any action by the authorities over a spate of comments denigrating Islam and Muslims. "Even worse, his ally UMNO has not done anything to defend the sanctity of Islam, let alone to take action against the MCA president," Nasrudin wrote in Harakahdaily recently. Nasrudin recalled a series of comments touching on Islam by the MCA leader, including his infamous remarks questioning Muslim women who prefer not to have skin contact with the opposite sex. Apart from this, Chua was slammed by Muslims when in 2010 he linked corruption in Muslim countries to the fact that they were Muslim-majority nations. Later that year, during a visit to Kota Bharu, he expressed disappointment that shops there were closed for Hari Raya Aidiladha celebration. To illustrate how UMNO has succumbed to MCA's propaganda against Islam, Nasrudin (above) said a day after Chua had threatened to come out of Barisan Nasional if BN endorsed the Islamic capital punishment for serious crimes, or hudud, UMNO president Najib Razak declared that the laws would never be impelemented. More recently, Nasrudin said other MCA leaders have also joined Chua in making Islamophobic statements. In August, Selangor MCA chief Donald Lim Siang Chai voiced out against any attempt at forming an Islamic government during the state MCA convention in August. Earlier this year, Tourism minister Ng Yen Yen criticised the Subang Jaya Municipal Council (MPSJ) for disallowing Muslims from working at outlets serving liquor, while former Subang Jaya state representative from MCA Lee Hwa Beng was on record saying that Islamic state would impose ban on all other religions. "The latest is by Kedah MCA chairman Chong Itt Chew who questions and mocks Alor Setar Municipal Council's dress code requiring decent attire for models on advertisement billboards," said Nasrudin. "What is unfortunate is the fact that UMNO has kept silent in the face of its close ally MCA continously insulting and ridiculing Islam."

‘Graft in military housing since 90s’ Posted: 15 Oct 2012 03:13 PM PDT The Malay Army Veteran Association chief also claims previous contractors dished out contracts to cronies. Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT Corruption involving military housing had been widespread since the 1990s, the president of the Malay Army Veteran Association (PVMT) Mohamad Ali Baharom alleged today. Yesterday the 2011 Auditor-General report revealed that the Defence Ministry had spent a whopping RM3.2 billion for poor quality living quarters with a 84% cost overrun from the initial cost of RM1.2 billion. The quality of the quarters was said to be marred with damages and construction defects causing safety concerns for occupants. Reparations were slow to come and low quality furniture was supplied. The report also stated that the contractors failed to complete construction within the initial contract period and were given time extensions of 94 to 1,240 days. "This issue has been around since I was still in the army. That was in the 1990s. It is blatant cheating (by the contractors)," Mohamad, better known as Ali Tinju, told FMT in a brief interview. The PVMT president said similar complaints were lodged with Mindef on the poor quality of housing and suspected corruption in the process but the issue never got out into the open. Mohamad alleged government-owned National Housing Company Bhd (SPNB) had also provided poor quality housing despite being awarded hefty contracts later distributed to politically-connected contractors. SPNB implicated "It was the same with SPNB. The houses were of very poor quality. I have visited the houses of the generals. "They may look good outside but the interiors are rife with problems. They handed out the contracts to their cronies," he said, adding that Mindef should rectify the problems and prosecute those involved. The contractor implicated in the 2011 AG report was Syarikat USL, a joint venture of the Finance Ministry-owned Syarikat Perumahan Negara Bhd and the Armed Forces Fund Board Sdn Bhd. The report described the company as "inexperienced" and "technically incompetent". Mindef was censured and urged to ensure that it appoint only eligible and capable contractors. The report also noted that although USL was fined RM87.12 million for the delays, the Finance Ministry waived the penalty following an application by Mindef. In 2006, the same company was censured for sub-par delivery of an air force quarters project in Subang. Despite the reprimand, no repairs were made. However, the report revealed, the ministry had nevertheless issued a "certificate of making good defects" to indicate that repairs had been completed.

National debt soars to RM456.12 bil Posted: 15 Oct 2012 03:08 PM PDT The 2011 Auditor-General's report shows that the debt percentage to Malaysia's GDP is shrinking, largely due to the GDP increase. Patrick Lee, FMT Malaysia's national debt is at its highest yet: at a whopping RM456.12 billion, according to the 2011 Auditor-General's report. It is a RM49.02 billion (12%) increase from 2010′s figure (RM407.1b) and 51.77% of the country's RM881.08 billion Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In comparison, 2011′s debt percentage of the national GDP was lower (2010 recorded 53.15%). This might be due to the RM115.1 billion increase in GDP, of which a total of RM765.9 billion was recorded in 2010. According to the report, about RM438.02 billion of Malaysia's national debt was local while the remaining RM18.1 billion was foreign. The country also appeared to be spending more this year due to its rising debt. The report said that 2011′s expenditure due to the debt was RM17.72 billion, from 2010′s RM15.62 billion. At the same time, the country's deficit was shown to have reduced to 2008 levels, recorded at RM42.5 billion of the GDP, or 4.82%. In 2008, Malaysia's GDP stood at RM740.72 billion, with a deficit of RM35.57, or 4.8%. Last year's deficit was also lower than 2010 and 2009 numbers, which were at RM43.24b (5.64%) and RM47.42b (7.03%). These numbers were despite a 16.1% increase in government revenue, which saw Putrajaya collecting an estimated RM185.42 billion, compared to 2010′s 159.65 billion. The report said that efforts to control 2011′s deficit were due to foreign and local loans, which the Auditor-General's Department said, grew by as much as RM36.33 billion last year, or a total of 113.56 billion. In 2011, the government had a total of RM107.09 billion in local loans, with RM6.47 billion in foreign loans. The report added that the government also had a higher loan repayment in 2011, at about RM65.35 billion, or RM33.52 billion from 2010.

Malaysia's third quarter GDP to slow Posted: 15 Oct 2012 02:57 PM PDT (Bernama) – Malaysia's gross domestic product (GDP) for the third quarter of 2012 will be lower due to the reduced trade figure recorded for that quarter, said Second Finance Minister Datuk Seri Husni Hanadzlah. However, the country is on track to achieve the 4.5 per cent to five per cent targeted gross domestic product (GDP), for 2012. "We believe that our third quarter is lower than the second. This is because of the global economic conditions. It has not improved and as a result, our trade has been affected," he told reporters after the launch of the ninth Kuala Lumpur Islamic Finance Forum 2012 (KLIFF 2012) today. Malaysia's total trade in August fell to RM104.84 billion compared with RM106.17 billion in the same month last year. Recently, the International Monetary Fund (IMF) said that Asia will continue to power the global economy, but warned there was an increasing risk that growth in the region, could drop to levels last seen during the global financial crisis. The Fund foresees the Asian region economy expanding 5.9 per cent in 2013, 0.7 of a percentage point below the April estimate, it said in an update to its regional economic outlook. The IMF added that a hard landing in China's economy remained a low probability risk, but warned that such a scenario would have a significant impact on Asian economies, if it did occur. Malaysia's economy strengthened to 5.4 per cent in the second quarter 2012 against 4.9 per cent in the preceding quarter, led by continued expansion in the services and manufacturing sectors. He pointed out that the GDP for the second quarter will be the highest recorded in 2012. He noted that the destabilisation effects of QE3 will not impact Malaysia's economy. Meanwhile in his speech earlier, Husni said there is a need to expand the Shariah framework to provide solutions to sophisticated high net worth individuals, balancing the tenets of Islam and the complexities and realities of current financial, legal and taxation requirements. He said by expanding the range of value-add structures, products and services, the wealth management industry is in a position to play a key role in diversifying system-wide risks. "At the same time it adds depth and breadth to the country's domestic direct investment marketplace, secondary market liquidity and expansion of local talent pool and technical expertise. "In the last 10 years, our domestic investment management industry has expanded rapidly. This development was supported by a prudently sequenced deregulation measures, especially in regards to the market』s access to products and services, as well as the opening up of distribution channels within the industry," added Husni. Global Islamic assets have grown at an average rate of 15 per cent to 20 per cent per annum for the last 10 years to reach US$1.3 trillion in 2011. Husni said the government had also strengthened the standards for investor protection by enhancing disclosure and governance standards. "As a result, our domestic Assets Under Management (AUM) grew at a compounded rate of 21 per cent per annum from RM55 billion in 2000 to RM377 billion in 2010," he noted. Malaysia's AUM is estimated to grow to RM1.6 trillion in 2020. The KLIFF 2012 is a two-day forum beginning today and organised by the Centre for Research and Training in collaboration with Hisham, Sobri and Kadir, the Association of Islamic Banking Institutions Malaysia and Amanie Advisor. The forum has brought together scholars, practitioners, industry players and the public who have an interest in Islamic Banking and finance.

Sultan yet to give nod for discussion on Talamgate Posted: 15 Oct 2012 02:45 PM PDT (The Star) - The Selangor Sultan has yet to give his royal consent for a special state assembly meeting, indicating that the discussion on the Talamgate and water issues would be held at the same sitting as the state Budget's announcement on Nov 19. Mentri Besar Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim said Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah had yet to decide on the special meeting but has consented to the one on Nov 19 to table the state Budget. "We will abide by whatever the Sultan says. In fact, some of the state representatives have also expressed the view that the special sitting is not necessary," Khalid told reporters after meeting state heads of departments here yesterday. The state government was hoping to hold the special sitting two weeks before Nov 19 to discuss the White Paper on the Talam debt recovery and water restructuring exercise as well as the number of new voters in the state, which Khalid had labelled as "suspicious". (A White Paper is a government or other authoritative report on a major issue that provides information or proposals on it). On July 3, MCA Young Professionals Bureau Chief Datuk Chua Tee Yong had challenged the Selangor Government to explain how its exercise to recover a RM392mil debt from Talam ended in questionable deals worth over RM1bil. The state government is said to have obtained a grant of RM392mil and acquired additional assets worth RM284mil from Talam, bringing the total acquisition to RM676mil. This RM676mil purchase of assets was said to be part of the RM1bil deal. On a separate matter, Khalid said he would speak with Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin on a proposal from a Canadian company on membrane technology to ease an impending water shortage in the state. He claimed that the technology would produce the same results at a fraction of the cost of the multi-billion ringgit Langat2 project. "Membrane technology will generate one million litres of treated water per day, which would be the same as the Langat 2 treatment plant when it is completed. "Besides, the implementation of the membrane technology would cost not more than RM800mil compared to the cost of Langat 2, which is about RM2.5bil to RM3bil."

Sabah like a second home for MILF leaders Posted: 15 Oct 2012 02:42 PM PDT (The Star) - Sabah is like a second home to several Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) commanders who have either worked or stayed with relatives in the East Malaysian state. Commander Adnan Ebrahim lived at Kg Likas in Kota Kinabalu city for about two years during the Marcos era in the 1980s after he accompanied his comrade Sema Bayao (pic) to seek medical treatment there. "He was injured in a gunbattle with the Philippine government soldiers and could not go to the hospital in Mindanao as he would be arrested," he said, speaking in Malay. Adnan, 54, joined the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) as a soldier when he was 15, saying he wanted to fight Manila's injustice against Muslims. When MNLF split, he joined the breakaway MILF to fight for the Bangsamoro people. In Sabah, Adnan worked odd jobs including as a coffeeshop dish washer and manual labourer while Bayao, after recovering, worked as a contract labourer, earning daily wages of RM10 to RM12. Adnan said life was good in Sabah because there was no trouble. "In Mindanao, it was a time when (Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos) imposed martial law. And we did not have freedom of movement. Life was dangerous as we were hunted by the Philippine army," he said. "At times, we had no food we were always on the run." "Sabahans did not know I was actually a Moro fighter who had fled my country. I did not tell anyone as I was afraid that there were Philippine government spies in Sabah." Adnan and Bayao, 50, later decided to come back and continue their fight for Bangsamoro people. Now that a peace pact has been signed, Adnan and Bayao said they would not be going back to Sabah any time soon. Instead, they are hoping Sabah investors will be coming to Mindanao instead.

Ali Baba contractors ‘killing-off’ Dayak business Posted: 15 Oct 2012 01:56 PM PDT 'Ali Baba' contractors are squeezing Dayak contractors out of busienss in Pakan, Sarikei, Bintagor, Selangau, Kanowit and Sri Aman constituencies.  Joseph Tawie, FMT SARIKEI: Discontent Dayak contractors in Pakan may cost Julau MP Joseph Salang to lose substantial votes in the coming general election. Salang, who is also Deputy Minister of Information, Communications and Culture, seems to be unable to help his genuine Dayak contractors. According to the contractors, they are shabbily treated and are victims of the famed 'Ali Baba contractors' disease which surfaced during the era of Prime Minister Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad. According to a local contractor Joseph Allen, in Pakan the Ali Baba contractor has been active for the past three years. "This contractor is aligned to certain government officers. He 'sapu' (clean-sweeps) all big projects with high profit prospects meant for Pakan because of his connection with certain government officers," said Allen. The 'Ali Baba' system in Pakan works through three bumiputera companies which are under the control of a non-bumiputera contractor. The practice has been going on for three years. These projects which include village road projects, public infrastructure and basic infrastructure projects were passed through the Public Works Department (JKR) to this Ali-Baba contractor. Last week several frustrated bumiputera contractors met with the Resident of Sarikei division to voice their complaints only to be told that there was nothing he could do to help them. Dissatisfied with the answer, the group led by Hereward Gramong approached Salang last Saturday in Sibu because most of the federal-funded projects in Julau were channeled through Salang. Salang instead advised them to discuss with the officers handling the projects or tenders. But instead of meeting the officers handling the projects, the Pakan district Bumiputera Contractors Association met on Sunday to discuss their next move. Malpractices and abuse of power They agreed to write a petition letter to Salang with copies extended to the Pakan assemblyman and Minister of Social Development William Mawan Ikom, Meluan assemblyman Wong Judat, Sarikei Division Resident, Divisional Engineer and Pakan and Julau district officers. In the letter, they demanded that the authorities concerned bar the three Ali-Baba contractors who they identified, from vying for tenders offered through Pakan District Office. They demanded that officers sitting in the tender board be changed as they suspected there were some elements of malpractices and abuse of power. The bumiputera contractors also suggested that in order to ensure fair distribution of projects among the genuine bumiputra contractors, there should be a casting of lots (cabut undi) or on rotation system especially for projects though JKR for Class F, Class EX and Class E contractors rather than by open tender. READ MORE HERE

Misuari: It’s a recipe for another big, big war in Mindanao Posted: 15 Oct 2012 01:19 PM PDT Moro leader Nur Misuari (sulu.gov.ph photo) (Inquirer News) - "This framework agreement to me would be a recipe for another big, big war in Mindanao," Nur Misuari said. "Cut my throat if Hadji Murad can ensure peace in Mindanao," Misuari said, referring to Murad Ebrahim, chairman of the MILF, who witnessed the signing of the framework accord in Malacañang Monday with President Aquino and Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak. Misuari, leader of the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) that signed a peace agreement with the government in 1996, continued to rant Monday against a new peace accord. The MILF, he said, is "so unpopular in Mindanao." He claimed many MILF members returned to the MNLF because they, too, were upset about the framework agreement for the creation of a new autonomous region in Mindanao, to be called Bangsamoro. Misuari's extreme pessimism came in sharp contrast to cautious optimism of most Muslims in Mindanao and the guarded optimism of the Catholic Church that greeted the signing in Malacañang yesterday of the preliminary peace agreement between the government and the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF). 1996 peace deal But the chair of the MNLF Central Committee lauded the signing of the framework agreement. "The signing of the government's agreement with the MILF proved that our decision to enter the 1976 Tripoli Agreement was the right thing to do," Muslimin Sema, now mayor of Cotabato City, told the Inquirer by phone. Sema, however, wanted to know how the new agreement would harmonize with the 1996 peace deal with the MNLF. The answer will come when the Transition Commission begins work on the creation of the Bangsamoro, which will replace the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (ARMM). Read more at: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/289674/misuari-its-a-recipe-for-another-big-big-war-in-mindanao

Azmin to be hit by FAC scandal? Posted: 15 Oct 2012 01:09 PM PDT Popular blogger Raja Petra claims that revelations about alleged financial irregularities involving the Free Anwar Campaign are set to embarrass PKR deputy president. (FMT) - The silent spat between PKR deputy president Azmin Ali and Selangor Menteri Besar Khalid Ibrahim's political aide Faekah Husin is set to simmer further with both parties working on their whispering campaigns to seriously undermine the other. Popular blogger Raja Petra Kamarudin, in his latest blog posting in Malaysia Today, claimed that Azmin, having failed to have Faekah sacked from PKR during the party's political bureau meeting last week, has now embarked upon questioning Faekah's sexual orientation. "They [Azmin's camp] are 'whispering' that Faekah is a lesbian and that her partner is a lady doctor. "This is actually a very old story and not even a story for that matter. Everyone knows that these two single girls are sharing a house. But that does not make them lesbians, as what Azmin's boys are trying to suggest," said Raja Petra. And he said that Faekah was not taking the personal attacks on her quietly. "She is fighting back. Her 'team' is talking about the large sums of money Azmin has been [allegedly] siphoning out in the name of the party as well as in the name of the Free Anwar Campaign (FAC) over the last 12 years since 2000. And they are talking about millions," he said. He added that although the story was not new and that he had written about it in the past, "Faekah's 'gurkhas' are resurrecting this story in light of the recent Suaram and Malaysiakini exposé, which more or less involved the same people". Raja Petra, the founder of FAC, said that he knew about how certain leaders in PKR had made use of the campaign to "collect millions" for themselves. He added that he was only paid RM3,000 to run the campaign – RM1,000 from Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail and RM2,000 from Anwar's brother, Rosli, while the others were using FAC's name to enrich themselves. He also said that one particular Anwar Ibrahim aide had misrepresented himself as a FAC director in London to arrange "financing" for the FAC. Trusted aides "Millions changed hands but not a cent went to the FAC," he said, adding that there were a number of other occasions when FAC's name was used to raise a lot of money. He claimed that Anwar was aware of these but had chosen not to do anything. Read more at: http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2012/10/16/azmin-to-be-hit-by-fac-scandal/

Ex-IGP Musa withdraws "black eye" suit against Anwar Posted: 15 Oct 2012 12:31 PM PDT (The Star) - Former Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan has withdrawn his suit against Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim over the Opposition leader's allegation that he fabricated evidence during investigations into the "black eye" incident in 1998. Counsel Kamarul Hisham Kamarudin, acting for Musa, told High Court judge Justice Asmabi Mohamad Tuesday that his client was withdrawing the suit. The suit had been fixed for trial Tuesday, over three days. Later, Musa told reporters that both parties had discussed the issue and he was made to understand that there was a misunderstanding over his role in the case against Anwar and he accepted an out-of-court settlement. In his statement of claim filed on July 21, 2008, Musa said the allegation was baseless, untrue and had tarnished his personal reputation, image, sincerity and good name. Musa filed the suit three weeks after Anwar lodged a police report against him. The PKR leader, in his police report lodged on July 1, 2008, claimed that Musa and Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail had fabricated evidence and hidden facts in the investigation into the physical assault on him by the then IGP Tan Sri Abdul Rahim Noor, in 1998. Musa further contended that Anwar acted with bad intentions in lodging the report against him. He said Anwar's police report, in its natural and ordinary meaning, alleged that he had misused his power to fabricate evidence. He contended that Anwar had committed defamation repeatedly when he allowed the report to be reproduced on several websites, including his own blog, which was accessible to the public. Musa sought an unspecified amount in damages for slander and an injunction restraining Anwar, his servants or his agents from further publishing the alleged defamatory words, costs and other relief deemed fit by the court.

Bus drivers want bulk discounts for accumulated summonses Posted: 15 Oct 2012 12:04 PM PDT (Bernama) - Peninsular Malaysia Bus Drivers Association (PPBSM) has appealed to the government to give discount on traffic summonses. Its chairman, Saadan Man, said about 700 members have accumulated summonses for various traffic offences over the years and put financial burden on them. He said the discount would help bus drivers who receive average income of below RM2,000 per month adding they did not benefit from Budget 2013. "We really need the discount as it will help bus drivers to reduce the arrears in summonses," he told reporters here today. Saadan suggested that the discount be given only to card-carrying PPBSM members and payment made at police stations and the Road Transport Department. He said the number of bus drivers on the road was high and thus made it easy for them to receive summonses for traffic offences. There are about 20,000 drivers of stagecoach, school, factory and tour buses all over the country.

Nazri: Receiving foreign funds is not treason Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:50 PM PDT The de facto law minister reiterates today in Parliament that no charges can be brought against a organisation just for receiving foreign funding Teoh El Sen, FMT There are no laws stopping organisations from receiving foreign funding, said Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Nazri Abul Aziz despite several parliamentarians pushing for prosecution against those they considered "treasonous". "There can't be any prosecution against those who receive foreign funding. Charges can only be made on bodies which are illegal and go against other laws under the Companies Act or Society Act," the de facto law minister told Parliament during his winding-up speech of the Budget 2013. Several BN-friendly independent MPs such as Ibrahim Ali (Pasir Mas) and Zahrain Mohamed Hashim (Bayan Baru) today urged again for new legislation to address the issue of channelling of foreign funds to local organisations aimed at "toppling the government" or threatening the nation's security. But Nazri firmly repeated several times that no prosecution can be made based on those assumptions alone. "If it can't be linked to any offences that threaten security, or linked to anything that amounts to acts of treason, then we cannot act based solely on the fact that they are receiving foreign funding," he said. PKR's Batu MP Tian Chua then asked if the RM40 million smuggled out of Hong Kong by a businessman meant for Sabah Umno, and other genuine bodies such as Red Crescent, Girl Guides, and World Wildlife Fund, would come under the same category. Zahrain argued that Suaram, which he called "Suara Haram", was obviously trying to topple the government. And there is a clear distinction between funds that are "genuinely for nation building" and (funds) "to topple the government" While debating the issue, BN-Sri Gading Mohamad Aziz stood up and asked: "Why do they insist on defending traitors?" "Because they are traitors themselves!" retorted Ibrahim. PAS' Shah Alam MP Khalid Samad then commented that the main agenda of NGOs such as Suaram was to expose corruption. "I'm surprised. Suaram exposes corruption, is that something that is considered an act of treason? Or are the protectors of corruption commiting treason," he said. In recent months, several NGOs critical of the government, including Suaram, newsportal Malaysiakini, and Lawyers for Liberty, had been "exposed" as receiving foreign funding. Authorities initiated extensive probes on the financial structures of these organisations, which the NGOs described as an act of intimidation. Some quarters, including a UN rapporteur, had argued there was nothing unusual about NGOs receiving foreign funds, adding that even the government received international funding.

Malaysia's Auditor-General points to billion dollar cost overrun in train project Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:42 PM PDT (The Straits Times) - Malaysia's annual audit report released yesterday listed a familiar litany of hefty wastage in public spending, including a RM3.6 billion (S$1.4 billion) cost overrun in the building of a double-track railway line. The Auditor-General's Report also highlighted overspending in several other infrastructure projects like a bridge in Kelantan and rural roads in Sarawak. The report, which was tabled in Parliament yesterday, is often used as ammunition by the opposition to attack the ruling Barisan Nasional government. Last year, it was this report which highlighted the missed targets of a national cattle farming project run by the family of the ruling Umno party's women's chief Sharizat Abdul Jalil. That scandal eventually forced Ms Shahrizat to resign from her ministerial post and her husband was charged in court. This year, among others, the Auditor-General noted a RM3.6 billion cost overrun in the building of a long-delayed double-track railway line that runs northwards from Ipoh in Perak to Malaysia's border with Thailand. Auditor-General Ambrin Buang (picture) said that apart from the original contract value of RM12.5 billion, the Transport Ministry has to spend another RM3.6 billion. Of that, RM2.41 billion are interest costs arising from a loan to fund the project. The 329km railway line was to have been completed in January next year but has been delayed to June 2014, due to delays in land acquisition. "I hope this report will form a basis for improving the weaknesses, strengthening efforts and enhancing accountability and integrity," the Auditor-General said.

AG report: Top marks to Pakatan states Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:35 PM PDT The 2011 Auditor-General's report showed that apart from a few minor glitches, all four states showed good financial standing.  Syed Jaymal Zahiid, FMT The 2011 Auditor-General's report indicates good fiscal management by all four Pakatan Rakyat-controlled states with revenues improving. DAP-held Penang led the way in terms of revenue collection, recording a RM192.19 million or 46.8% increase compared with the RM410.70 million made in 2010 while Selangor, Malaysia's richest state, increased by RM62.50 million or 4% for the same period. Kedah, on the other hand, saw its surplus drop when it recorded an increase in operating expenditures despite boosting its revenue, but the report noted that the PAS-led state government had more or less maintained a "satisfactory" balance sheet. But the rice-bowl state, considered as one of the country's poorest, is still far from achieving its debt target, said the report. "The state government's commitment to the remaining public debt now stands at RM2.60 billion compared with RM2.61 billion in 2010; it is still high," it read, adding that Kedah must do more to improve its revenue collection. Oil-rich Kelantan, too, was rated satisfactory due to the increase in its consolidated fund by RM86.17 million or 58.1% to RM234.47 million as compared with the RM148.30 million recorded in 2010. The PAS-conrolled-state also saw investments in 2011 increase by RM95 million from RM16.33 million in 2010 to RM111.33 million in 2011. The state's overall financial performance statement, whereby revenue as compared to total management and development expenditures for 2011, recorded an increase from total deficit of RM171.70 million in 2010 to RM141.53 million in 2011. But the AG report highlighted poor debt management by Kelantan. "Public debts increased by RM27.85 million from RM1.11 billion in 2010 to RM1.14 billion in 2011. The arrears of debts repayment to the federal government also increased from RM121.57 million in 2010 to RM179.81 million in 2011″. Meanwhile, the report noted marked improvements in the performance of state agencies with most rated "excellent" compared to 2010, although it recommended Kelantan and Kedah to provide more training for its officers to improve. Selangor and Penang were praised for their initiatives to bolster their financial management performance.

Sisters of Islam call for Syariah law review Posted: 14 Oct 2012 06:28 PM PDT They say the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable and can lead to abuse. Leven Woon, FMT The Seremban High Court judgment on four Muslim transgenders last week has prompted NGO Sisters In Islam (SIS) to call for a comprehensive review on the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment. SIS manager Suri Kempe said this when commenting on the court's dismissal of the transgenders' application to seek for the right to dress in women clothes under Article 8 of the Federal Constitution. Justice Siti Mariah Ahmad, when delivering the judgment, had said that the applicants are Muslims and hence are subjected to Section 66 of Syariah Criminal Enactment 1992, that bars Muslim men from dressing or posing as women. Suri said the Syariah Criminal Offences Enactment and its record of enforcement is questionable as it can be abused. "Is it the duty of the state, under the name of bringing about a moral society, to turn what it considers 'sins' into 'crimes against the state'? "Should the state extend the long arm of the law to what should be best left to the religious conscience of the individual?" she asked. She said the reality is that sexual minorities in Malaysia, especially Muslims, are vulnerable to numerous abuses by the state, "We urge the government to form a committee which includes representation from women's groups, human rights groups, progressive Islamic scholars and constitutional experts," she said. She said the government needed to adopt a more humane way that embraces the Islamic spirit of justice, equality and compassion. READ MORE HERE

Hindraf to back Pakatan, provided… Posted: 14 Oct 2012 03:16 PM PDT A blueprint for the resolution of the Indian dilemma will be tabled at upcoming Anwar-Waytha talks. Athi Shankar, FMT BATU KAWAN: Hindraf will support Pakatan Rakyat if the bloc agrees to implement the pressure group's blueprint for the wellbeing of Indians in the country, which it will present at an upcoming meeting with PKR. Hindraf deputy chairman W Sambulingam said his organisation was keen to forge an alliance with Pakatan to face the next general election but would not give it or any other political group a free ride. "We are not going to give anyone a free lunch like in 2008," Sambulingam told some 500 supporters at a fund-raising dinner here last night. The blueprint will be tabled during a second round of Hindraf-PKR talks, which could be held at the end of this month or early next month. PKR de facto leader Anwar Ibrahim and Hindraf chairman P Waythamoorthy are expected to attend. The Anwar-Waythamoorthy meet-up was agreed upon last month at a meeting between PKR and Hindraf officials. Neither Anwar nor Waythamoorthy was present at that meeting. Since his return from exile, Waythamoorthy has had meetings with top PAS leaders, including Kelantan Menteri Besar Nik Abdul Aziz Nik Mat. Sambulingam said Hindraf would prepare a "comprehensive and constructive" blueprint containing recommendations and proposals for "permanent, practical, applicable and effective" solutions to resolve problems faced by the Indian community, including those unresolved since colonial days. Hindraf has written to both BN and Pakatan to propose talks on the blueprint. Unlike PKR and PAS, BN has yet to respond. Sambulingam said he regarded BN's silence as a "rejection of Hindraf's olive branch". He said Hindraf would call on Indians to support Pakatan only if the bloc agreed to implement the blueprint. Issues regarding education, land, and settlement areas for Indians are expected to feature heavily in the blueprint. Sambulingam said these were not commercial issues, but were matters that bore heavily on fundamental principles of human rights. "The government of the day is duty bound to fulfil these rights for rightful citizens, not to illegal immigrants," he said at last night's dinner.

Defamation suit against FMT dismissed Posted: 14 Oct 2012 03:01 PM PDT Judge orders MIC's Mugilan to pay costs. (FMT) - The Shah Alam High Court today dismissed a defamation suit brought against FMT by MIC's deputy Youth chief, V Mugilan. Justice Ahmad Zaki Husin said FMT did not commit any offence in an article entitled "MIC's Mugilan accused of swindling temple", which was published on July 28, 2011. He ordered Mugilan to pay RM30,000 in costs. The FMT article was about a police report filed against Mugilan by the Serendah Indian Community Association, which alleged that Mugilan worked in cahoots with certain officials of the Sri Selva Vinayaga Temple to take out RM400,000 from a RM2 million fund without authorisation. The report also quoted Mugilan as denying the allegation, saying the money was used to pay a deposit to a contractor appointed to build a crematorium. He sued FMT for RM500,000, claiming the report was false and politically motivated. The judge said Mugilan's accusation had no basis. FMT was represented by Clement G Lopez.

'Who says Islam and democracy can't propel a nation?' asks former MCA V-P Posted: 14 Oct 2012 02:59 PM PDT (Harakah) - Former MCA vice-president Chua Jui Meng has dismissed the argument that Islam should not have any role in the country's political system, and cited how Turkey's blend of Islam and democracy have yielded positive results for the European nation. "The brave Turkish people went for change with [Turkish prime minister] Tayyip Erdogan in 2003 and today, about 10 years after, Turkey registered a 300% economic growth. "Turkey even settled its remaining EUR1 billion debt with the International Monetary  Fund last April," Chua, who is also chairman of Johor PKR, told a ceramah on Saturday. According to Chua, Islam and democracy could co-exist to help steer a nation towards positive socio-economic progress. He also rubbished BN leaders' claims that Pakatan Rakyat's proposals for free education and other welfare-oriented policies would bankrupt the nation, and again pointed out the reforms impelemented by the Turkish Islamist party. "Tayyip went on to implement numerous people-centric reforms, including free education for all in his country. Now, this is a country without oil and gas. Did it go bankrupt?" he asked. "And the Barisan Nasional-UMNO federal government was quick to say Malaysia will go bankrupt under Pakatan Rakyat's free education policy should it get the mandate from the people to govern. "It is BN-Umno's plundering of the nation's wealth and unabated corruption to enrich Umno cronies and elites that will bankrupt Malaysia," said the former Health minister. Chua stressed that PR's alternative budget which has come under attack in BN-controlled media was aimed not help lift Malaysia's sagging economic fortunes.

Pakatan’s minimum wage plan will backfire, says Soi Lek Posted: 14 Oct 2012 02:26 PM PDT (The Star) - Many small and medium companies, and even eateries will close down, triggering massive unemployment if Pakatan Rakyat's RM1,100 minimum wage is implemented. MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek said Pakatan's proposed minimum wage had caused anxiety among the business community. "Some people even asked me whether the proposed RM1,100 minimum wage was a joke as it would be disastrous to their businesses and the country's economic competitiveness," he said. He noted that Pakatan's bid to increase the minimum wage by RM200 would backfire. "It will create massive unemployment in our country," Dr Chua told reporters at the MCA mega dinner themed "Stability Above Chaos" at Stadium Indera Mulia here last night. He also challenged Pakatan to show their economic model. "The various populist polices in Pakatan's manifesto (Buku Jingga) amounting to almost RM200bil a year will bankrupt the country within two years if they take over Putrajaya," he warned. These populist policies include ensuring every Malaysian household has a minimum monthly income of RM4,000 which will cost the Government RM93bil a year. Others include abolishing tolls, loans owed to the National Higher Education Fund Corporation and car taxes. In another development, Dr Chua said the party would focus on winning the seats it contested in the last general election. The MCA, the second largest Barisan component party, contested 40 parliamentary seats and 90 state seats in 2008. Dr Chua, who is also Perak MCA chairman, said Barisan was confident of retaining the state. Full house: Guests enjoying their meal during the MCA mega dinner in Ipoh. Citing the overwhelming response to last night's mega dinner, he said many people could be seen waiting at the venue as it could only accommodate 700 tables. He said it was a similar scene at the mega dinners in Malacca and Klang, leading to the organisers adding more tables. Dr Chua said the tremendous response reflected unity and high spirits within the party and community. He also said the RM500,000 raised at last night's mega dinner would be given back to society for education purposes.

Animal lovers slam local councils’ move to enter houses and remove dogs Posted: 14 Oct 2012 02:18 PM PDT (The Star) - Animal rights groups here are upset with local councils for engaging private companies that apparently trespass homes to catch pets. The discussion among representatives from about 15 groups, including PAWS, KL Pooch Rescue and SPCA, became animated when they voiced their displeasure against such actions, usually instigated by complaints from neighbours of dog owners. "This is a disturbing trend," said Malaysian Dogs Deserve Better (MDDB) founder Wani Muthiah during a press conference here. "When you're not at home, the local councils' dog-catchers, as well as those from private companies employed by them, cannot remove your dogs," she pointed out. "Now, owners have become paranoid. They have to lock their dogs inside their houses when they go out to work," she said. Wani said the authorities should instead take up the complaints with the house owner, and not capture the dogs. "And, certainly not when the owners aren't home." Shown at the conference was a YouTube clip that was uploaded on Sept 27, showing several men, believed to be dog-catchers subcontracted by the Ampang City Council (MPAJ), entering a house compound and removing several dogs there. Wani said she had compiled about 50 police reports made after the video went online since Wednesday. It can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DwqnI88boFs. However, MPAJ deputy president Abd Hamid Hussain said it was all a misunderstanding. "In the video, the contractors were actually trying to remove stray dogs which had wandered into the house," he said. "We had permission from the owner to remove them." Yesterday, G. Darwin, 27, and his wife Cynthia Moey, 26, from Kota Kemuning, related how the local authority had removed their dogs. "I returned from work at about 8pm, and found my porch in a mess," said Moey. "I thought someone had broken into my home. I found my dogs missing," she said. "My neighbour told me that she had called the council to come and take away my dogs. "The council had actually trespassed my home using my neighbour's house to jump inside." DwqnI88boFs

Selangor says has cheaper water treatment option Posted: 14 Oct 2012 01:57 PM PDT Amin Iskandar, The Malaysian Insider Selangor has a cheaper water treatment option without the need to raise tariffs to foot the construction of Langat 2, a new treatment plant proposed by Putrajaya to cope with a forecasted supply shortage, says Tan Sri Khalid Ibrahim. The Selangor mentri besar claims to have found a viable alternative method from a Canadian company that utilises membrane technology to extract fresh water from existing plants and turn them into water suitable for household use. "The total cost will be in the vicinity of RM500 million to RM750 million compared to the RM3 billion to RM5 billion to build Langat 2," Khalid told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview. He explained that the Canadian company's technology involved taking water from several treatment plants and treating them separately to produce one billion litres of water daily, instead of doing all the work from one main plant, which was the purpose of Langat 2. "But you have several plants so you can add 50 litres a day and three million more from elsewhere and you add that all, you get one billion litres a day. "In short, we will have cheaper water resources at very, very low prices," he said, adding that through this new method the government will not have to raise tariffs to produce treated water. The tussle for control of treated water supply in the country's most developed state has become major election fodder in the run-up to national polls due soon after the state's sole water distributor, Syarikat Bekalan Air Selangor (Syabas), raised an alarm earlier this year of a possible crisis in the near future due to the near zero reserves at the state's water treatment plants. The Pakatan Rakyat (PR) state government has steadfastly opposed the Barisan Nasional (BN) federal government's Langat 2 project, citing the high costs involved that would force the state to increase the tariffs for water and renege on its pledge to provide the utility cheaply, a policy PR had introduced after winning power in Election 2008. "It will cost at least RM3 billion to RM5 billion just to build Langat 2, a treatment plant capable of storing water from Pahang and to treat it before it is distributed, without taking into account the cost of digging the tunnel and all that," Khalid said. Despite this, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has reportedly suggested that the federal government may go ahead with building Langat 2 without first getting the agreement of the state government. Muhyiddin, who has been tasked with chairing a federal panel to resolve the water issue, said he has asked the Attorney-General's Chambers to see whether the National Land Code or the Land Acquisition Act will allow a project deemed to have national importance to be built, enabling the federal government to circumnavigate the state without causing any detriment to Putrajaya. "The Attorney-General's Chambers has yet to respond, negotiations with the state government are continuing in efforts to get them to issue a development order for the construction of Langat 2," the country's No. 2 told reporters over the weekend. Langat 2, which is part of the RM8.9 billion Pahang-Selangor Raw Water Transfer project, would be able to bring in 1,130 million litres a day with which to supply residents in Selangor and the two federal territories of Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya. READ MORE HERE

Anwar says will reduce fuel prices if opposition wins Posted: 13 Oct 2012 04:40 PM PDT (Daily Express) - Lahad Datu: Pakatan Rakyat (PR) will reduce fuel prices if it forms the Federal Government in the 13th general election. Speaking to a large crowd at King Palace Hotel's yard on Saturday, opposition leader, Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said they can reduce the fuel price and give free education without bankrupting the country as long as they have good governance. Sabah Reform Alliance leader, Datuk Lajim Ukin, Tawau MP Datuk Chua Soon Bui, Chairman of Silam DAP, Tajuldin A.R, SAPP Chairman of Silam Zone, Shuaib Mutalib, and several other opposition leaders also attended. Anwar also stressed that PR government will provide all assistance equally to everyone regardless of race if PR win the election. "If I become Prime Minister, I will ensure that the government I lead will not be practising dirty politics and terrorising people," he said. In his speech to the PR supporters, Anwar also said that the BN move in providing assistance such as BR1M is not healthy because if BN wins the next general election, they will increase taxes and goods prices to get back the money that has been used. Anwar added that PR will collaborate with Sabah Progressive Party (SAPP) and the collaboration will provide opportunities for each other to compete in any parliamentary or assembly seat. If SAPP competes in the area, PR will give opportunity to them and will not compete in the area, and likewise the SAPP. In NABAWAN/PENSIANGAN, Anwar said Barisan Nasional has been unable to eliminate poverty among the people for the past 55 years in Peninsular Malaysia and 49 in Sabah/Sarawak. He also said the Budget 2013 would cause the Government to face bankruptcy because the amount of foreign debts had reached 53 per cent compared to only 46 per cent in 2010. Anwar said, if people lived well, comfortably and healthy the country's finance will also be enhanced and that "people should also be aware that now corruption among the government has increased." He said this in an event organised by the Sabah Reform Movement and Pakatan Rakyat Pensiangan on Saturday. About 50 motorcycles and 20 cars escorted Anwar from Nabawan to Kg Keritan Sea, approximately 3km from Nabawan. Sabah Reform Movement President and Tuaran MP, Datuk Seri Wilfred Bumburing together with Anwar, came to Nabawan to listen to the problems of the people in the Pensiangan area particularly in Nabawan district. He thanked the people for coming "despite all kinds of methods used to prevent people from attending the event." He said this included cutting off electricity but the organisers had prepared generators. Anwar also thanked the Pensiangan Sabah Reform Movement Chairman, Datuk Dr Richard Gunting with PKR and Pakatan members that organised the event. Richard said he has long been in the BN government and knew what the problems of Sabahans especially in the interior of Pensiangan and Nabawan were. He said it was increasingly difficult for the people in Pensiangan to search for food. "At first, residents lived well in Pensiangan because it was never short of food but now in the forest hunting is no longer allowed. "Residents want to catch fish but the river water has been contaminated and can affect the health of the population. "Lands have also been taken over by big companie. Although villagers have applied for them over the last 10 years they have not even received a piece of land. Residents were only given communal land titles supposedly because they do not want the people to sell their land. According to Richard if Pakatan Rakyat were to rule, within three months they will produce 350,000 acres including land grants to people in Sabah, particularly in Pensiangan to strive to improve their economies, such as planting rubber, oil palm, coffee and others. Similarly Pakatan will improve roads in all villages so that agricultural products can to be taken out to Nabawan or Keningau town.

Nazri: New law to replace archaic Sedition Act will be tabled next year Posted: 13 Oct 2012 03:09 PM PDT Ida Lim, The Malaysian Insider A new law to replace the controversial Sedition Act will be tabled in Parliament next year and will provide for criticism against the government, Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Datuk Seri Mohamed Nazri Aziz told a Chinese-language daily in an interview published today. In July, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak had said that a National Harmony Act will replace the 64-year-old law.  Opposition lawmakers and civil society groups have long accused the government of using the Sedition Act arbitrarily to limit dissent.  Nazri said the National Harmony Act will keep the main elements of the Sedition Act, but will have the additional element of allowing for criticism of the government.  The de facto law minister traced the Sedition Act's history, pointing out that the pre-independence law was drafted by the British who had feared that criticism would affect their reign.  "Sedition Act was enacted by the British colony government in 1948, because it is not a democratic government, (they were) afraid that people will criticise and affect their rule."  "But, BN is a democratic government, the people should have the right to criticise the government, criticising the government is a normal thing, (it) can help...ensure government does not simply draft policies," he told Sin Chew Daily.  The prime minister had called for the repeal of the Sedition Act to ensure the people's right to freedom of speech as guaranteed under the Federal Constitution, Nazri told Sin Chew.  But he said there should not be absolute freedom of speech in a multiracial country, saying that sensitive issues involving the different races and the royal institution should not be raised.  "We will continue to monitor any speech with seditious elements" to prevent the feelings of other races being hurt, Nazri said, adding that these includes racial slurs against the Chinese or Indian races. READ MORE HERE

Umno leaders urged to cooperate with Kimma Posted: 13 Oct 2012 02:52 PM PDT (NST) - Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak has urged Umno leaders at state and division levels to cooperate with Malaysian Indian Muslim Congress (Kimma) as it will become a strong force in shaping the political landscape. This call came in a wake of complaints that Kimma leaders were sidelined since it became an associate member of Umno two years ago. "There may be weaknesses in our execution and implementation but we need to fix this. "In Barisan Nasional, when a party becomes an associate member, Umno at all levels need to recognise them," Najib said in his opening speech at the 36th Kimma Delegates Conference here. Najib, who is also Barisan Nasional and Umno president, said Kimma deserved full support from members of the ruling coalition as the party had contributed a lot in the social economy. "If Kimma has given Umno and Barisan Nasional the full support, it is only appropriate that we do the same." He added that BN needed to be inclusive regardless whether a party represented the majority or the minority. "As long as we are Malaysians, we need to continuously support each other so that a strong mandate can be formed in pursuing a beautiful agenda for our country." Najib said Malaysia must have social justice to become a developed and high-income nation by 2020. "We need to have social justice by maximising everyone's potential. I'm sad when the potential of Indian Muslims can't be realised, and I'm sad when they live in poverty," he said. Earlier, Kimma president Datuk Syed Ibrahim Kader said the party was facing a "lone struggle" in solving problems in the Indian Muslim community. "Although we have received recognition as an associate member on Aug 27, 2010, sadly until today, Kimma has not received much cooperation from Umno at state and division levels. "A lot of them do not have a clear picture of this association. Some were not aware of it and some even questioned it cynically." Syed Ibrahim tabled an 18-point resolution, including a call for the post of deputy minister to be given to Kimma. Najib said he would forward the demands to the cabinet to be discussed and hoped that Kimma would remain a loyal friend of BN.

Saifuddin: winning cyber war key to ensuring BN success in GE13 Posted: 13 Oct 2012 02:45 PM PDT (Malaysian Digest) - Content by Barisan Nasional (BN) cybertroopers and across social media platforms will determine the ruling coalition's success in the next general elections, says Umno supreme council member Datuk Saifuddin Abdullah. The popular deputy minister said BN had learnt an important lesson from its worst electoral performance in Election 2008 due to its failure to conquer the cyber-world which was then dominated by parties that eventually formed Pakatan Rakyat. "We were not there (cyber world) in 2008... we handicap. We lost at that time, because of that we lost young voters. "But now BN is prepared, we have a team of bloggers and new media known as "BN cybertroopers", the difference now is the content of the media," the Temerloh MP told The Malaysian Insider in an exclusive interview. BN lost its customary two-thirds majority in Parliament and lost four states Pakatan before Perak fell back into its fold in 2009. Part of the defeat was attributed to BN snubbing social media websites in 2008 when a growing number of voters were internet-savvy. Saifuddin, who often comes out with views that differ from other Umno leaders, explained that the BN and Umno's top leadership are now seen to be active in social websites such as Twitter and Facebook. "We look at Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, he's very active with the new media as general elections draw near, compared to previous BN leaders. "It can be said that the majority of leaders now are active in using the new media," said the Deputy Higher Education Minister. He stressed that BN and Pakatan's new media unit are equally matched in strength, and they only differed in the contents of their blogs and websites. "We are equally strong... but the contents will determine voters' choice. "If they (voters) feel our content is good, they choose us; but if Pakatan is good, they choose Pakatan," he said, adding that BN is now starting to realise that the great influence of social media would determine polls result. Saifuddin said that 90 per cent of the youth learn about the country's political developments from the new media, in reference to a study by a Universiti Teknologi MARA Malaysia (UiTM) political science lecturer. According to the study by Prof Dr Shaharuddin Badaruddin, 60 per cent obtain information from alternative media, 25 per cent from the mainstream media such as television, and only 15 per cent obtain political information through newspapers. This proves that the contents of alternative media, which are more convincing and more "persuasive" in nature, will enable political parties to win votes and support, Saifuddin said. With young voters and middle-class voters making up 30 per cent of the electoral roll, they are likely to determine the victory of political parties that contest in the general elections. He said that with the changes and access to social media, the "rural" and "urban" terms are merely physical differences. "Rural and urban are just physical differences, but there's no 'rural' term for social media...the difference is only the speed and access to internet facilities only." Saifuddin said the demands made by middle-class voters are getting more and more complicated. "Key issues such as basic infrastructure is no longer the main issue for them, because of that Fardhu Ain. "The issues that they raised are fardhu Kifayah issues, every ruler will give basic facilities to the people, but how many are prepared to give media freedom, give attention to basic human rights and clean and fair elections." He said that various schemes announced by Najib during the tabling of the Budget 2013 such as the Bantuan Rakyat 1 Malaysia and book vouchers are not adequate to gain the support of this group. "They receive the government handouts, but they want more than that because they think such actions would be carried out by any party in power. "Their demands are more towards basic human rights, freedom of speech and so on." Saifuddin saw Najib's reforms in matters of freedom of speech, right to peaceful assembly and the repeal of the Internal Security Act (ISA) would potentially draw support from this group of voters. "The transformation carried out by Najib does not normally come from Umno leaders. "But he is more progressive and is a reformist."

Top ulama leaders in PAS can replace each other, says Nik Abduh Posted: 13 Oct 2012 02:28 PM PDT (The Star) - Any ulama leader in PAS can take over the post of mursyidul am (spiritual leader) that is currently held by Datuk Nik Aziz Nik Mat, said his son Nik Abduh. The party's top ulama leaders, he said, were free to replace each other. "It is for the ulama leadership to decide," said Nik Abduh, who is also PAS Youth deputy chief. He was commenting on talks that deputy mursyidul am Datuk Dr Haron Din should replace Nik Aziz as he was vocal enough to defend the party's interests. Dr Haron had rapped Opposition leader Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim for launching former Indian MP Mubasyar Jawid Akbar's book titled Tinder Box: The Past and Future of Pakistan that intimated that Islam was not a basis in establishing a nation. However, Nik Abduh said, now was not the time for a leadership change because it was not election year for the party. "Furthermore, the matter was ne-ver discussed internally," he added. On claims by PAS veteran Prof Dr Shahnon Ahmad that the party was subservient to DAP, Nik Abduh said "the strength of the party relied on its ability to iron out issues while maintaining harmony". Earlier, Nik Abduh who chaired the monthly meeting on behalf of Youth chief Nasrudin Hassan said that they have launched a "Love Rasulullah" campaign in the wake of attempts by certain quarters to tarnish Prophet Muhammad's reputation. He said 100,000 "Love Rasulullah" car stickers would be distributed free nationwide. "If there is a demand, we will print more." PAS Youth also launched a health check campaign for its members and media members. The movement is also initiating "Save Malaysia" roadshow in the run up to the 13th general election, focussing on Pakatan Rakyat's manifesto, economy, social development and education.

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